The Prince
by annabethchase98
Summary: Many were after his crown. They would never admit that of course, for fear of being hexed into oblivion. But if tragedy was to strike upon Draco Malfoy, the top suspects would be among his closest friends. They were the ones who were sick of second best. They were the ones who were tired of being slaves to him. And they certainly wouldn't deal with him if he feels heartbreak again.
1. Prologue

***a/n* Good or bad news, school has started. This makes it either easier or harder to write. I am not certain yet. First day of high school, and I have already started a new book series though! I believe that can be a sign towards the positive!***

**PROLGUE**

**.oOo.**

**Draco Malfoy**

**.oOo.**

Draco was wandering aimlessly through the halls of Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Well, he had an aim, so it was not quite 'aimless' per say. He was searching for a poor, helpless soul to torture, for maybe the tenth or fifteenth time.

Everyone was well aware that Malfoy ruled the school. No one questioned it. A few daring young first year Gryffindors were turned into ferrets when they tried to stand up to the young Death Eater. No one messes with the Prince. No questions, no hexing. Draco Malfoy of Slytherin is the Prince of Hogwart's. Even the teachers knew! They knew better than to fail him, give him detention, or get in his way.

Many were after his crown. They would never admit that, of course, for fear of being hexed into oblivion. But if tragedy was to strike upon Draco Malfoy, the top suspects would be among his closest friends. Pansy Parkinson and Blaise Zabini would be the first on a long list of followers. They were the ones who were sick of second best. They were the ones who were tired of being slaves to him. And they certainly wouldn't deal with him if he feels heartbreak like the one he had felt a few years before.

As he strolled through the long hallways, Draco found what he was searching for. A soul to torment, yet again. He continued strolling, quite casually for him, anyone watching would suspect him of being 'up to something' right away. Neville Longbottom heard him after his friends, Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley, got so quiet you could hear a pin drop from a mile away. Malfoy waltzed right up to them, for the first time without his followers.

And that's when the torturing began. He had managed to torment them all before class started! A new record for him, and for the Slytherin house. Four Gryffindors tormented speechless within 10 minutes.

Later that same day, he found himself bored, and so wandering the halls again. He found he always was doing this. He had nothing better to do, so why not torment the people who have something better to do? He believes that he knows why he tortures everyone. He was finally getting close to admitting it to someone he trusts. Too bad he doesn't trust anyone but himself.

Draco has been in fights. Many, many fights, especially before people acknowledged his rightful place as prince. The only ones he would allow himself to fight though were men. He would never strike a woman after he had seen what his father does to his mother.

_That is why I torment them_, Draco decided quietly in his mind, _because that's all I know. It's how my father communicates, and so that is how I will communicate._ Somehow, somewhere inside, Draco didn't believe this was the right reason. And if it wasn't, then he would find the real reason before someone tries to take his crown.

**.oOo.**


	2. A Message from a Frog

**Chapter 1. A Frog with a Message.**

**.oOo.**

**Hermione Granger**

**.oOo.**

"Urg! One of these days, I am personally going to hex Malfoy another butt, on his perfect little face!" Hermione complained to her best friend's little sister, Ginny Weasley. Ginny just laughed at her.

"Why don't you do it now? You'd be doing us all a favor. Even his own house is sick of him!" Ginny laughed again before turning serious and stopping her friend and roommate outside the Great Hall. "What happened to you being the Princess of Gryffindor?" Hermione sighed before replying.

"Nothing, I just do not want to risk my kingdom by going to war." After a moment of silence, in which Ginny gazed into Hermione's eyes, as if she could stare down into her soul and read her deepest secrets by watching her eyes, they entered the Great Hall together to join the famous Harry Potter and his best friend and sidekick, Ron Weasley.

Not much exciting things happened during lunch, except Gryffindor lost 15 points from Snape because Seamus was trying to turn his turkey leg into a lollipop and it blew up in his face. So after lunch, they all went to their normal classes, trying to avoid Malfoy when they needed to.

As soon as class ended, they met up outside by the lake, like they do an any average day (and we all know how infrequent those are at Hogwart's). Unfortunately, they ran right into the person they were trying to avoid.

"Hey, Granger!" he yelled with Blaise Zabini and Pansy Parkinson flanking him.

Hermione just sighed, not turning her back on her friends to face him. "What do you want this time, Malfoy?" she asked with a little snotty attitude in her voice.

Draco smirked his trademarked-Malfoy-smirk and put something in her hair. "Just thought you might like a little something to go with that outfit." He said before walking away, obviously mocking her.

Ginny shrieked at the thing that Draco had put in her hair and ran about a mile away.

"Oh, come now, Ginny! It cannot be that bad!" Hermione said before pulling it out of her hair, screaming, dropping it and joining Ginny across the yard. Harry and Ron, being the brave young men that they are, walked up to the dead frog and inspected it. Malfoy had tied a note from Professor Dumbledore to its leg.

"Guys, come back, there's a note for us!" Harry called out as the girls slowly and fearfully approached them.

"Look, the frog is dead. It is not going to hurt you. It looks like it's been dead for a while now, actually." Ron said. Hermione sighed and walked right up, closely followed by Ginny.

"It just gave me a scare. I don't really know what I was expecting, but it certainly was not a dead frog in my hair." She said.

"Sorry, 'Mione, but it won't hurt you." Harry said. "Here, it has a note from Dumbledore." He handed the note to her, and she opened it and read aloud to her friends this:

_Dear Fifth Year Students of All Houses:_

_There will be an inter-house "lock-in" per say in the Great Hall tomorrow to improve our relations as a class! You will, after all, still have two years at school with your peers, and then work off in the world together! This evening will be filled with activities to improve our trust in one another. You will need to trust each other when the time for war comes. The Heads of Houses and I would like you to wear your pajamas to dinner, and bring your blanket or possibly a sleeping bag, and just stay after dinner._

_ Professor Dumbledore _

_Headmaster at Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardary _

"Sounds like he liked my suggestion!" Hermione smiled. Ron and Ginny looked extremely puzzled.

"Lock-in? Bloody hell, what is a lock-in?" Ron asked, extremely confused. "And why are we having one with the other houses?"

"Well," Hermione started to explain but got cut off by Harry.

"A lock-in is like an overnight party where a bunch of people get locked in a room and, well, party. I've never been to one, but Dudley's been to a couple at his school. Or at least that's where he tells Aunt Petunia where he's going." He explained.

"Well, sounds ok if it was just Gryffindor. Guess I'll just leave if I can sneak out if it sucks."

**.oOo.**

"Lucious!" Voldomort screamed. "Where is that man?" Mr. Zabini, Blaise's father, bowed to the Dark Lord.

"Sir, he is in Azkaban as of right now. You sent Bellatrix and Narcissa to retrieve him."

"Well they better get him here soon! We need to discuss what is to happen with that boy!" Voldomort screamed at him. "CRUCIO!" He yelled, pointing his wand at a random Death Eater, who crumpled to the floor, yelling and thrashing in unbearable pain.

About five minutes later, the man was still under the Cruciodis curse and dying from the pain it caused him when the door opened and Lucious Malfoy walked through. Voldomort lifted the curse.

"About time. We need to discuss the boy. I understand you have people watching him?"

"Of course, my Lord. The youngest Death Eaters are watching his every move." Malfoy replied, bowing to the Dark One.

"Good, that boy knows too much and is too close to that idiot, Dumbledore, for my liking. If he hasn't joined our ranks within the month, he shall need to be disposed of, Lucious."

"I understand my Lord," he said, swallowing the lump in his throat. "I shall contact Severus about getting him here."

"Good. You have a week to contact him, and a day after you contact him to get him to agree." Voldomort walked over and placed the tip of his wand to Lucious' neck. "And you know what happens if you don't."

"Of course my Lord," he said, shaking for fear of his life. That poor boy will never have time to register what has happened to him, and he WILL join the Dark Lord's ranks.

**.oOo.**

***a/n* Hello, fans, friends, followers. This story really will be finished, I promise you that. I already have an outline going, up to chapter 10!**

**REVIEWERS GET A REVIEW AND THEIR NAME IN THE STORY! Well, the author's notes…***


	3. Mudbloods and Idiots

**Chapter 2: Mudbloods and Idiots**

_***Language warning: nothing too bad, just one word.***_

**.oOo.**

**Draco Malfoy**

**.oOo.**

Draco continued to watch the scene unravel after walking away, laughing when Granger pulled her present out of her hair and screamed. He watched Harry and Ron retrieve the note, and he watched them all read it.

_What a stupid idea. Lock all of us in the Great Hall together? That's dangerous. Doesn't that old man know better than to keep me locked up? _ Draco thought to himself. _And with a bunch of Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs no less! Ravenclaws I can deal with, as long as they don't start talking nerd to you._ He sighed and strolled off, wandering the yard. He ended up picking on a couple kids, and sending Neville to Madame Pomfrey when he tried to stand up for a third year Ravenclaw who turned into a nerd.

Somehow, Draco found himself sitting by the lake, starring into the distance. He found himself doing this often. It must be his favorite place to think. He had picked on everyone now, at least once. He had reached his goal: everyone knowing him for who he was. So why was there still an empty feeling inside him?

After a moment, he realized where he was starring. But he didn't care enough to move his eyes from Granger's pretty ones. _Oh, gosh Malfoy! Did you really just think that her eyes are PRETTY? She is a damn mudblood for goodness sakes! What has gotten into you!_ And that is when he stood up, as calmly as he could, and walked to the castle. He figured he'd turn in early, hoping to erase the memory of thinking Granger was pretty. He can skip his normal routine of tormenting Granger to dinner and torture her on the way to Ancient Ruins from Potions instead, tomorrow, of course.

As he was walking to the Slytherin Common Room, he ran into someone. Two someones, to be exact, Blaise and Pansy walked with him. Blaise was being unusually quiet and Pansy was talking up a storm, like normal.

"Oh Draco, is something wrong?" she purred in her typical, not caring, more seductive manner. Draco sighed and walked faster, hoping he would be able to ignore her annoying ways and leave her in the dust behind him.

"Nothing Parkinson, everything is just peachy! I just have a bit of a headache and I'm going to turn in early. Leave me alone." She just walked as fast as he was, determined to earn her prize of the Prince.

"Oh baby, I am so sorry. What can I do to help?" Draco stopped dead in his tracks, quickly followed by Pansy and Blaise.

"One, I am not your baby, so don't call me that. Two, nothing you can do will help, especially since every time I see your face I want to throw up on it. Three, change your tone of voice if you're talking to me. I am not one of your stupid puppets who will do anything for you, and I am not going to bed with you. So stop trying to get me there." He practically spit it out at her, years of anger boiled up and coming out now. Both Pansy and Blaise were taken aback, and, quite truthfully, pretty frightened. They stepped aside and let him by without a word.

**.oOo.**

**Hermione Granger**

**.oOo.**

"Look! Here come the owls!" Ginny said, pointing at the oncoming wave of birds at dinner. Ron just shrugged carelessly and continued shoveling food into his mouth until his mother's owl landed in his plate.

"Hey! Shoo!" He told her with a mouth full of food. He started eating again, only to stab the stupid owl in the back, earning a shriek from her, glares from the teachers, and a loss of points from Snape.

"Well, that was effective." Harry commented before taking the note from the owl's leg and reading it aloud for Ron, since he was too busy stuffing his face. "Your mother says she loves you and Ginny, _Ronald_!" Harry laughed, quoting the letter.

"Hey! Give me that, Potter!" Ron nearly screamed, tackling Harry to get the letter from him, both of them crashing to the ground laughing.

After laughing at their childish ways, Hermione looked up to see that Dumbledore had stood to give announcements.

"Guys, stop, Professor Dumbledore has something to say!" Ginny helped her get their attention and get them settled, and as soon as they were quiet, Dumbledore began speaking.

"We, the teachers and other staff members, hope that you have enjoyed another lovely beginning of the year, here at Hogwart's, as Christmas break starts next week. Fifth years, you received a letter concerning the lock in tomorrow. A few questions have arisen, and yes, it is mandatory that you attend. You also will not be able to leave once the doors close. A few forth years asked if they could come with their older siblings, and so we are now opening it up to them as well." A few annoyed groans from fifth years and a few happy squeals from the forth years could be heard from all around. "WE hope to see you all there!" Dumbledore said before sitting back down.

"Yes!" Ginny exclaimed excitedly. "I can go with you guys! Oh, Hermione, we can play that game I was telling you about, 7 Minutes in Heaven!" Hermione looked uncertain.

"I don't know, Ginny. What if I get stuck with Malfoy?" _Not that I would really mind, we've kissed before. Before he was a jerk, before I was a witch, before he knew there was such a thing as Muggles. Back when we were young and innocent._

"That won't happen, 'Mione, we won't let it." Harry and Ron said. She had to smile and give them points for being sweet.

"Thanks guys. I'm sure it'll be fine."

"See, Hermione! Nothing will happen." Ginny said happily.

"Alright, I'll play your little game." Ron sighed.

"Looks like we'll have to play the bloody game too, Harry," at that, they all just laughed.

**.oOo. **

***a/n* I am hoping to post a chapter here every week. I already have an outline to chapter 11 and it will most certainly be longer!**

**I haven't gotten any reviews to review… (except for Ghostking's, but I already reviewed those.)* **


	4. Brothers, Friends, and Crushes

**Chapter 3: Brothers, Friends, and Crushes**

***a/n* Hello! Sorry it's two days late, I will try harder this week.***

**.oOo.**

**Draco Malfoy**

**.oOo.**

Draco woke the next morning to two persistent owls tapping on his window, demanding to be let in.

"It's six thirty in the morning!" He complained, throwing his pillow over his head to block them off. After a minute, they were still pestering him, so he got up and opened the window to scare them off. When they refused to go, he cursed under his breath and took the letters from them. One was from his mother; his father was out of Askaban, and the other was from Snape. _Apparently whatever that old buffoon had to say last night was important, the entire letter contained everything Dumbledore said at dinner last night!_

When he finished reading his letters, he looked up at his clock. "Really, it's seven now? Why does breakfast have to start at seven thirty on Saturday?" Draco sighed and set the letters down next to his alarm clock, turned it off since he would not need it today, and changed into jeans and a green shirt for the day. When he finished changing, he went to wake Blaise.

"Draco? You're up and ready before eight? What rock fell from Heaven and hit you in the head?" Blaise laughed, sitting up on the bed next to his friend after waking.

"Yeah, yeah, don't get used to it. I deserve my sleep. I cannot believe you're not up. Are you getting 'beauty sleep' to impress someone?" Draco criticized.

"Not anyone you'd know."

"Oh, really? Blaise, you are looking at the Prince of Hogwart's. Try me." Blaise sighed before replying.

"You can't laugh at me, or make fun of me. It's just a phase and I'll be over her soon."

"Tell me, Blaise."

"Well, she's ginger…"

"No! Blaise, really, Weaselette?" Draco yelled.

"Draco, just tell the whole world, why don't you? Shut up! I told you it's just a phase and I'll be over it soon."

"You are turning into a true idiot, my brother."

"I know, Draco. Now shut up about it, really. I don't want the world to know."

"Alright, alright, calm down. We have to get down to breakfast."

"Ok, give me 15 minutes to shower and change."

"Countdown starting: now!"

And that is where the normal morning adventure began. Blaise took an eight minute shower, took five minutes to get dressed, and four minutes on his hair.

"Blaise, what's wrong? You've never run over the time you give yourself before. Now you're two minutes over?"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever, let's go!" And so, the 'brothers' were off to the Great Hall.

**.oOo.**

**Hermione Granger**

**.oOo.**

The day went fairly quickly with no incidents with Malfoy for the foursome group of Gryffindors. Soon enough, it was time for the party/lock in. They all walked into the Great Hall in their most modest pajamas (well, except Ginny. She was trying to impress someone, but hers and Blaise's story is one to be told at a different time.)

They entered the Great Hall to find it ready for a party, with snacks galore and Muggle sodas, and all sorts of games. Apparently, more than one person had the same idea as Ginny to play Seven Minutes in Heaven, so there was a basket with numbers on slips of paper, with a match in another basket with a teacher. Ginny and Hermione each took a purple slip, and Harry and Ron took a yellow slip. As soon as they got settled in chairs by a fireplace that had appeared for the evening, Dumbledore walked into the room dressed in his pajamas.

"Let the festivities, begin!" He announced to the room. Instead of the lights turning out, they dimmed and a disco ball appeared n the center of the ceiling. A sixth year, muggle-born Hufflepuff sat at the front of the room with a full DJ set, and he put it to good use. As it turns out, his dad is a famous DJ and he brings Tyler to big gigs over the summer so he could learn how to DJ.

As _Stop and Stare_ by OneRepublic began playing, Harry turned beet red at something Ron said to him.

"Ask her already!" Ron persuaded him.

"She'll laugh at me! Besides, I don't know what she'd say if I told her I wanted to be more than friends." Harry said, coming up with every excuse.

"Harry, ask her already. Bloody hell, just ask the girl!"

"Fine, I will." He faced his fears, and walked up to where Hermione and Ginny were standing by the punch bowl.

"H-H-H-Hermione?" He stuttered, trying to figure out how to ask her.

"Yeah, Harry? Is something wrong?"

"Well, yes and no. Do you want to dance with me?"

"Oh! I, uh…" Hermione glanced back and forth between Harry and Ginny "as friends, sure."

"Oh, okay." Harry said, taking her to the dance floor, trying to mask his disappointment. _I'll get a girl someday_, he thought.

While they danced, the first number was called. Blaise and Ginny slipped into the dark room, unnoticed. They might not have seen them leave, but they saw the heated, passion filled kiss that happened in there. Dumbledore thought it would be fun to put a camera in there and display what was going on in there on a television. Out of the corner of her eye, Hermione could see Draco laughing at something. _What's so funny?_ She pondered. _It's nice to see something other than sadness and hatred in his eyes though._

Both Ginny and Blaise came out happily and holding hands. Everyone gawked at them, but they didn't seem to care, which was very unlike Ginny. Blaise offered his arm to her, and she took it. He led her off to the dance floor to dance to a new slow song.

After a few people had been in and out of the room, Hermione's number was called. She went in, only to find the person she hated most leaning against the wall, starring at her.

She was trapped in a room with Draco Malfoy, and they had to kiss.

.oOo.

*a/n* Again, I say I am sorry for the delay. Please review! I want to know what you think about Blaise and Ginny! I swear, this story will only be Hermione and Draco, with a little of Ginny and Blaise. They will have their own story after this, it will be this story's sequel.

REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW PLEASE!*


	5. An Unexpected Twist

**Chapter 4. **

**.oOo.**

**Draco Malfoy**

**.oOo.**

Draco stared off into space, secretly looking for the camera Dumbledore had put in the room. He knew the general location, and if he could find it and turn it off, no one would witness him kissing whoever was to walk into the room in a second.

As soon as he found the video camera, he knew it was too late. Because, the second he found it, the door opened. Hermione Granger walked in.

He stared at her blankly for a minute, considering what to do. _I'm not kissing a mudblood!_ He thought, _even if she is pretty._

He laughed, trying to get out of it. "Ha-ha, very funny, Blaise! Who really had that number?"

"Malfoy, I REALLY have that number. This isn't a joke, sadly." Hermione said, shocking him into the cruel, harsh reality.

Draco just sighed. "Fine, let's get this over with, Granger." He glared at the camera once before turning to Hermione, planning to kiss her and put all his hatred for her into the kiss. What happened, though, was completely unexpected.

He pulled her into his arms and gazed into her warm, soft eyes and was taken aback. He didn't realize how absolutely beautiful she was until it came back to smack him in the face. He hesitated in kissing her, pondering how she had grown so lovely in one short summer.

"Her-" Draco started. She looked at him like he was a little crazy. _Using her name? Draco, what is wrong with you?_ He continued what he was saying anyway, not really caring. He leaned in and whispered in her ear.

"Hermione, I never realized how truly breath taking you could be. I'm sorry; for everything." She pulled away and looked into his eyes. Then she did something she didn't expect. She pulled her wand out and zapped the camera, knowing exactly where it was, and looked back into his eyes.

"Dr-Draco, what do you mean? You're sorry? You're just saying that right now? Why? Are you sick?" She said, hiding how in that moment, she had fallen for him as well, for fear that he was just mocking her.

"No, I'm not. I swear, Hermione. I mean everything I said."

She stared into his cold, grey eyes and found sorrow: more and more sorrow, growing by the second.

"Hermione, please believe me. I've- had a change of heart. I fell in love with a girl."

"Oh…" Hermione said, trying to hide her disappointment, believing that the girl had to be one other than her. Why would he love a muggle-born anyway?

That's when he kissed her. He could tell she was hurting. _Was it something I said?_ He thought, sad that he had hurt his Hermione. _My Hermione? Where did that come from? Although, if she does truly love me back as I love her, I have every intention of making her just that._

The kiss started off gently, but with every second it grew more heated, more passionate, more loving. He was giving as much as he was accepting, and he realized his feelings for her were more than a little crush. They were real. There was something there that he had never let himself feel about any other woman before. He wouldn't dream of letting himself feel this way about Granger, but the feelings were there, none the less. And they were quite strong.

As the kiss escalated, they had to pull away for breath. They pulled away from each other and gazed into one another's eyes, searching for the answers to the questions they were both afraid to ask for fear that they were wrong.

"Malfoy, what was that?" Hermione asked quietly, hesitantly.

"That was me, seeing what you have to offer." He said bluntly, without emotion, hiding his true feelings for fear that the audio on the camera was still on. "Let's get out of this closet."

**.oOo.**

**Hermione Granger**

**.oOo.**

Now it was Hermione's turn to let her eyes fill with sadness as Draco swiftly left her there, alone, in the dark room. She fled the room after a minute, but instead of joining her friends back in the Great Hall, she ran to the Gryffindor Common Room, hoping to get there before the tears threatening to fall out of her saddened eyes decided to fall.

She just had enough time to burst into Moaning Myrtle's bathroom before her rainfall of tears fell. _Great_, she thought. _Now I'm stuck in Myrtle's bathroom till no one can tell I've been crying. What do I tell Myrtle? _

As if on cue, Moaning Myrtle floated over.

"Why, hello Hermione. Why are you crying? It's not like you're dead." She said, not even trying to hide the envy in her voice.

"Myrtle!" Hermione said quickly, wiping her tears away swiftly. "Oh, it's nothing; just a little cold."

"Does that cold have a boy's name?" The ghost asked, ready for some actually GOOD gossip.

"Like I said, Myrtle, it's nothing. I don't want to talk about Drac-" She quickly covered her mouth, hoping Myrtle hadn't notice her slip up. Of course, she had no such luck.

"Oh, another Draco Malfoy lover? Good luck, Hermione. He most likely wants nothing to do with you." At this, Hermione just cried harder.

"He does want something to do with me! He told me he fell in love with me, and that he thinks I'm beautiful. He kissed me, for Merlin's sakes!"

She just kept crying, and crying, and crying. Eventually, Myrtle got bored and floated away, so she could cry about how miserable HER after-life was. Like anyone really cared.

As soon as she was ready, Hermione dabbed at her eyes with a wet paper towel so they wouldn't appear so red and she left the bathroom. She turned the corner, climbed the moving stairs, and quickly found her way to the Gryffindor Common Rooms. From there, she said the password, walked as calmly as she could up the stairs to her room, and laid on the bed.

There, she continued her crying.

**.oOo.**

***a/n* Hey, ya'll! I made my deadline! I now have a review to review:**

**SabrineSabrineSabrine: I hope this was good enough and lived up to your expectations!**

**PLEASE REVIEW EVERYONE! YOU WILL GET FREE COOKIES! (ha-ha, you wish.)***


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